Annual retail rush appears slow

NEW YORK, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Shoppers will be out in droves through Sunday, but the holiday crowds may be smaller than a year ago, a U.S. retail trade group said.

The National Retail Federation predicts 128 million U.S. shoppers will visit stores this weekend, compared with 135 million a year ago.

Retailers count on the annual sales event to highlight the holiday season which accounts for 25 percent to 40 percent of some stores' annual sales, The New York Times reported Friday.

Black Friday is so named as the event traditionally pushes many U.S. stores into the black, or profitable, range each year, USA Today reported.

While some stores reported thinner crowds, the day saw confrontations between shoppers vying for marked-down items, the Times said.

Bargain hunting is the name of the game. Google reported searches for "Black Friday" have risen 41 percent from a year ago while searches for "coupons" rose 59 percent. Searches for "free shipping" rose 11 percent, while "buy one, get one free" searches rose 200 percent.

"I've been doing this for 17 years; this year, it feels smaller," said Wal-Mart customer Tracey Darwish in Columbus, N.Y. "Nobody's crushing me. I have room to move."